Modular cryptographic device providing multi-mode wireless lan operation features and related methods

ABSTRACT

A cryptographic device may include a cryptographic module and a communications module removably coupled thereto. The cryptographic module may include a first housing, a user Local Area Network (LAN) interface carried by the first housing, and a cryptographic processor carried by the first housing and coupled to the user LAN interface. The communications module may include a second housing and a network wireless LAN interface carried by the second housing. The network wireless LAN interface may be coupled to the cryptographic processor, and it may be switchable between wireless LAN modes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of communications networks,and, more particularly, to cryptography devices for use incommunications networks and related methods.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Security is an extremely important consideration in networkcommunications. With the ever-increasing utilization of the Internet,most networks now have Internet gateways which open them up to externalattacks by would-be hackers. Further, the popularity of wirelessnetworks has also increased dramatically as technology has enabledfaster and more reliable wireless communications. Yet, wirelesscommunications are inherently less secure than wired communications,since wireless communication signals are typically much easier tointercept than signals on cables which are often difficult to access.

As a result, cryptography is often used to encrypt private or secretcommunications to reduce the likelihood that they will be deciphered andused by malicious individuals or organizations. By way of example,wireless local area networks (WLANs) and WLAN devices are widely usedand provide a convenient and cost-effective approach for implementingnetwork communications where it may be difficult or otherwiseimpractical to run cables. One of the more prominent standards which hasbeen developed for regulating communications within WLANs is promulgatedby the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers' (IEEE) 802LAN/MAN Standards Committee, which is the 802.11 standard. In additionto providing wireless communications protocols, the 802.11 standard alsodefines a wireless equivalent privacy (WEP) cryptographic algorithmwhich is used to protect wireless signals from eavesdropping.

WEP relies on a secret key that is shared between wireless stations andan access point. The secret key is used to encrypt data packets prior totransmission, and an integrity check is used to ensure that packages arenot modified during the transmission. Nonetheless, it has recently beendiscovered that the WEP algorithm is not as immune to external attacksas once believed. For example, in an article entitled “Interceptingmobile communications: The Insecurity of 802.11” by Borisov et al.,MOBICOM, Rome, Italy, July 2001, the authors set forth a number ofvulnerabilities in WEP. In particular, it was noted that a significantbreach of security occurs when two messages are encrypted using a sameinitialization vector (IV) and secret key, as this can revealinformation about both messages.

Moreover, WEP message ciphertext is generated using an exclusive ORoperation. By exclusive ORing ciphertext from two messages generatedusing the same IV, the key streams cancel out and it is then possible torecover the plain text. As such, this key stream re-use is susceptibleto a decryption dictionary attack in which a number of messages arestored and compared to find multiple messages generated with a same IV.

As a result, more robust network security is often required for manynetwork applications. One example of a network security device to beconnected between a protected client and a network is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 6,240,513 to Friedman et al. The network security devicenegotiates a session key with any other protected client. Then, allcommunications between the two clients are encrypted. The device isself-configuring and locks itself to the IP address of its client. Thus,the client cannot change its IP address once set and therefore cannotemulate the IP address of another client. When a packet is transmittedfrom the protected host, the security device translates the MAC addressof the client to its own MAC address before transmitting the packet intothe network. Packets addressed to the host contain the MAC address ofthe security device. The security device translates its MAC address tothe client's MAC address before transmitting the packet to the client.

Even more robust cryptographic devices may be required to securesensitive or classified communications. More particularly, in the U.S.the communications of government entities that include sensitive (butunclassified) information must comply with the Federal InformationProcessing Standards Publication (FIPS) publication 140-2 entitled“Security Requirements For Cryptographic Modules.” Classifiedcommunications, which are typically referred to as Type 1communications, must comply with even stricter standards.

One example of an encryptor which is certified for Type 1 communicationsis the TACLANE Encryptor KG-175 from General Dynamics Corp. The“classic” version of the TACLANE encryptor has Internet Protocol (IP)and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) interfaces, and an E100 version hasa fast Ethernet interface. The classic version may also be upgraded tofast Internet by replacing the IP/ATM network interface cards thereinwith two new E100 interface cards.

Despite the security benefits provided by such devices, many of theseencryptors are fairly bulky and may consume significant amounts ofpower. One particularly advantageous cryptographic device which providesboth space and power saving features is the Sierra module from HarrisCorp., Assignee of the present application. The Sierra module is anembeddable encryption device that combines the advantages of high-gradesecurity (e.g., Type 1) with the cost efficiency of a reprogrammable,commercially produced, FIPS 140-2 level 3 or 4 encryption module. TheSierra module can take on multiple encryption personalities depending onthe particular application, providing encryption/decryptionfunctionality, digital voice processing (vocoding) and cryptographic keymanagement support functions. The Sierra module also provides the userwith the capability to remove the Type 1 functionality, allowing thedevice to be downgraded to an unclassified device. Also, because of itsrelatively small size, low power and high data rates, this device iswell-suited for battery sensitive applications.

By way of example, the Sierra module has been implemented in a SecureWLAN (SWLAN) personal computer (PC) card called SecNet 11, which is alsoproduced by Harris Corp. The SecNet 11 card allows rapid communicationof multimedia information (data, voice, and video) in a secureenvironment. The SecNet 11 card may be used as a wireless networkinterface card for WLAN “stations,” for wireless bridges, and for accesspoint (APs), for example. The SecNet 11 device is more fully describedin U.S. published application nos. 2002/0094087 and 2002/0095594, bothof which are hereby incorporated herein in their entireties byreference.

Accordingly, the SecNet 11 card provides numerous advantages in terms ofsize, power requirements, and flexibility in WLAN environments. However,it may be desirable to provide such benefits in other networkenvironments as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing background, it is therefore an object of thepresent invention to provide a cryptographic device that provides highlevel security and is relatively easily adaptable to numerous networkenvironments and related methods.

This and other objects, features, and advantages in accordance with thepresent invention are provided by a cryptographic device which mayinclude a cryptographic module and a communications module removablycoupled thereto. More particularly, the cryptographic module may includea first housing, a user Local Area Network (LAN) interface carried bythe first housing, and a cryptographic processor carried by the firsthousing and coupled to the user LAN interface. Furthermore, thecommunications module may include a second housing, and a networkwireless LAN interface carried by the second housing. The networkwireless LAN interface may be coupled to the cryptographic processor,and it may be switchable between wireless LAN modes.

More particularly, the network wireless LAN interface circuit may beswitchable to one of an access point (AP) mode, an infrastructure mode,and an ad-hoc mode. Accordingly, the cryptographic device may be usedinterchangeably with any of the various types of devices in a WLAN, thusavoiding the need for multiple types of WLAN encryption devices.

In addition, the cryptographic module may further include a firstconnector carried by the first housing and coupled to the cryptographicprocessor, and the communications module may further include a secondconnector carried by the second housing and connected to the networkwireless LAN interface. Moreover, the second connector may be removablymateable with the first connector of the cryptographic module. Thus, inaccordance with another aspect of the invention, the communicationsmodule may be a predetermined one from among a plurality ofinterchangeable communications modules, where the network wireless LANinterfaces of the interchangeable communications modules each operatesin a different wireless LAN mode (i.e., AP, infrastructure, or ad-hoc).Accordingly, the same cryptographic module may advantageously be usedwith any WLAN device by simply coupling the appropriate communicationsmodule for that particular device to the cryptographic module.

The user LAN interface may be an Ethernet interface, for example.Furthermore, the cryptographic device may also include a power circuitcarried by the first housing and powering the cryptographic processor,the user LAN interface, and the network LAN interface. The cryptographicprocessor may implement an encryption algorithm to provide apredetermined security level, up to and including Type 1 security, forexample.

More particularly, the cryptographic processor may include a hostnetwork processor coupled to the user LAN interface, and a cryptographiccircuit coupled to the host network processor. Further, thecryptographic processor may also include an unencrypted data buffercircuit coupled between the user LAN interface and the cryptographycircuit, and an encrypted data buffer circuit coupled between thecryptography circuit and the network LAN interface.

The cryptographic module may also advantageously include a tampercircuit for disabling the cryptographic processor based upon tamperingwith the first housing. By way of example, the tamper circuit mayinclude one or more conductors substantially surrounding thecryptographic processor, and the cryptographic processor may be disabledbased upon a break in the conductor(s).

A communications method aspect of the invention may include coupling acryptographic module, such as the one described briefly above, to a LANdevice, a communications module being removably coupled to thecryptographic module. As noted above, the communications module mayinclude a second housing and a network wireless LAN interface carried bythe second housing and coupled to the cryptographic processor.Furthermore, the method may additionally include switching the networkwireless LAN interface between wireless LAN modes. The communicationsmodule may then be used for communicating with a LAN.

Another method aspect of the invention includes providing acryptographic module, such as the one described briefly above, havingone of a plurality of cryptographic modules removably coupled thereto,and coupling the cryptographic module to a LAN device. Moreparticularly, the communications module may include a second housing anda network wireless LAN interface carried by the second housing, and thenetwork wireless LAN interfaces of the plurality of interchangeablecommunications modules may each operate in a different wireless LANmode. The communications module may then be used for communicating witha wireless LAN.

A communications system in accordance with the invention may include aplurality of LAN devices coupled together to define a wireless LAN, anda cryptographic device, such as the one described briefly above, coupledto at least one of the LAN devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective view of a cryptographic device in accordance withthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cryptographic device of FIG. 1illustrating the various modules thereof.

FIG. 3 is top plan view of the cryptographic device of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4 through 9 are schematic block diagrams illustrating the variouscomponents of the cryptographic device of FIG. 1 in greater detail.

FIG. 10 is a timing diagram illustrating status and configurationoperations for the communications module of the cryptographic device ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a cryptographic packet generated inaccordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are perspective views illustrating the connectorconfigurations of the communications module and cryptographic module,respectively, of the cryptographic device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 14 is another exploded perspective view showing the bottom of thecryptographic device of FIG. 1 and further illustrating coupling of thevarious modules thereof.

FIGS. 15 through 20 are flow diagrams illustrating variouscommunications method aspects in accordance with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodimentsof the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied inmany different forms and should not be construed as limited to theembodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided sothat this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fullyconvey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Likenumbers refer to like elements throughout, and prime notation is used toindicate similar elements or steps in different embodiments.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 through 9, a communication system 29 inaccordance with the present invention illustratively includes acryptographic device 30, a plurality of network devices 40, and anetwork such as a wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) 48. Thecryptographic device 30 illustratively includes a cryptographic module31 coupled to one of the devices 40 and a communications module 32. Asshown in FIG. 2, the communications module 32 is removably coupled tothe cryptographic module 31, as will be discussed further below.Generally speaking, in accordance with the present invention, aplurality of interchangeable communications modules 32 may be connectedto the cryptographic module 31 for communicating over differentcommunications media. While in the illustrated embodiment thecommunications module 32 is a WLAN module which includes dual tri-bandantennas 33, it will be appreciated based upon the following discussionthat the cryptographic device 30 can be used with numerous types ofwired and wireless networks.

By including the appropriate chip sets/interface circuitry in differentcommunications modules 32, each of these modules may interface with adifferent network medium (e.g., WLAN, wireline medium, fiber opticmedium, etc.), yet all interface with the same cryptographic module 31.That is, the same cryptographic module 31 may be used for numerousnetwork applications simply by coupling the appropriate communicationsmodule 32 thereto for the desired application. Examples of various typesof communications modules 32 that may be used include WLAN modules,plain old telephone service (POTS) modules, tactical radio modules,E1/T1 modules, in-line network encryptor (INE) modules, a VersaModuleEurocard (VME) bus module, etc.

The modular design and ease of interchangeability not only provides aconvenient way to quickly configure the cryptographic module 31 fordifferent applications, but it may also be particularly useful for highlevel security applications such a Type 1, FIPS 140-2 level 4, etc. Thisis because the evaluation process to have a cryptographic devicecertified for use with sensitive or classified communications at theselevels can be quite lengthy and extensive, and consequently costly.Thus, to manufacture respective cryptographic devices for differentnetwork applications can be cost prohibitive since each one will have toindividually undergo the rigorous and costly certification.

Yet, since in accordance with the present invention the cryptographicmodule 31 preferably includes all of the sensitive cryptographiccircuitry and associated cryptographic algorithms/keys, the variouscommunications modules 32 merely provide interfaces for different typesof networks. That is, they do not process or transmit “red” (i.e.,unencrypted) confidential/classified data, and thus they will likely notrequire the same certification scrutiny as the cryptographic module 31.Accordingly, the communications modules 32 may provide significant costsavings over having to purchase an entirely new cryptographic devicewith a different network interface for each desired application.

In particular, the cryptographic module 31 illustratively includes afirst housing 34, a user network interface 35 carried by the firsthousing, a cryptographic processor 36 carried by the first housing andcoupled to the user network interface, and a first inter-moduleconnector 37 carried by the first housing and coupled to thecryptographic processor. The user network interface 35 may be anEthernet physical layer (PHY) interface compatible with the IEEE 802.3standard, for example, as will be appreciated by those skilled in theart. Various connectors 38 are also carried by the first housing 34 forcoupling the cryptographic module 31 to different network devices 40(e.g., personal computers (PCs), servers, portable communicationsdevices, etc.).

By way of example, the connectors 38 may be wireline connectors, such asan RJ45 connector 85 (FIG. 8), or fiber optic connectors, such as an LCfiber optic connector 86. Caps 39 may also be included for protectingthe connectors 34. A power switch 41 and LED status indicators 42 (i.e.,power, link state, fill, and alarm) are also carried by the firsthousing 34.

It should be noted that the term “user” is used with relation to theuser network interface 35 simply to indicate that this interface is forthe user network device side and not the communications network side ofthe cryptographic device 30. That is, “user” does not mean that theinterface 35 is only for individual user devices such as PCs. Instead,the user network interface may be connected to a variety of differentLAN devices (e.g., servers, bridges, access points, etc.), as notedabove.

The communications module 32 illustratively includes a second housing45, a second inter-module connector 46 carried by the second housing andremovably mateable with the first connector 37 of the cryptographicmodule 31, and a network communications interface 47 carried by thesecond housing 45 and coupled to the second connector. In the presentexample, the network communications interface 47 includes a WLANcommunication circuit (e.g., an 802.11 chip set) for cooperating withthe antennas 33 to wirelessly communicate with a network (e.g., LAN) 48,as will be discussed further below. Yet, as noted above, the networkcommunications interface 47 may be a wireline LAN communication circuit,a fiber optic LAN communication circuit, etc., for example.

The various circuit components of the cryptographic module 31 may beimplemented in a cryptographic circuit card (CCA) 50, for example, aswill be appreciated by those skilled in the art. The circuitry of thecommunications module 32 may similarly be implemented in a CCA 51. Thecryptographic module 31 may also include a power CCA 52 carried by thefirst housing 34 and including power supply/filtering circuitry 53 forpowering the cryptographic processor 36, the user network interface 35,and the communications module 32.

The cryptographic processor 36 may include a host network processor 54connected to the user network interface 35, and cryptography circuitry55 connected to the host network processor. More particularly, thecryptography circuitry 55 illustratively includes an unencrypted (i.e.,“red”) data buffer 56 connected to the host network processor 54, acryptography circuit 57 connected to the unencrypted data buffer, and anencrypted (i.e., “black”) data buffer 58 connected between thecryptography circuit and the first connector 37.

By way of example, the unencrypted and encrypted data buffers may befirst-in, first-out (FIFO) buffers implemented using field-programmablegate arrays (FPGAs), and the cryptography circuit 57 may be implementedin an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). One cryptographyASIC that is particularly well suited for use with the present inventionis the above-noted Sierra (and Sierra II) device from Harris Corp. Ofcourse, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that othersuitable circuitry may be used as well.

The host network processor 54 illustratively includes a plurality ofmodules which may be implemented using hardware and/or software, as willbe appreciated by those skilled in the art. Generally speaking, the hostnetwork processor 54 includes a first 802.3 medium access controller(MAC) controller 60 for interfacing the user network interface 35, asecond 802.3 MAC controller 61 for interfacing the cryptographicprocessor 36 and network communications interface 47, as will bedescribed further below, and a processor 62 coupled between the MACcontrollers. The host network processor 54 and user network interface 35may communicate via dedicated lines for Media Independent Interface(MII) communications, as will be discussed further below, and amanagement data input/output bus (FIGS. 6 and 8), for example.

More specifically, the processor 62 may include a hypertext transferprotocol (HTTP) server module 73, a simple network management protocolagent 63, a firewall/routing module 64, an over the air re-keying/overthe network re-keying (OTAR/OTNR) module 65, and an over the airzeroization/over the network zeroization (OTAZ/OTNZ) module 66.Moreover, the processor 54 also illustratively includes a modecontroller 67 for providing proper configuration based upon theparticular mode or media with which the cryptographic module 31 is tooperate (e.g., WLAN access point (AP) mode, ad-hoc mode, infrastructuremode, etc.). The mode controller 67 may also perform otherconfiguration/monitoring functions, such as for service set identifiers(SSIDs), channel, transmission level, data rate, 802.11 band selection(i.e., a, b, g) depending upon the particular application thecryptographic module 31 is to be used for, as will be appreciated bythose skilled in the art. Additional modules such as an Internetprotocol (IP) security protocol (IPSec)/high-assurance IP encryption(HAIPE) module 68, a key management module 69, and/or a device discoverymodule 70 may also be included depending upon the given implementation,as will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Thecryptographic module also preferably includes respective memory devices71, 72 for the host network processor 54 and cryptography circuit 57.

The power circuitry 53 illustratively includes external power interface(I/F) circuitry 75, which may be connected to a DC source (e.g.,battery), a wall wart AC adapter, an Ethernet power source, etc. Ofcourse, it will be appreciated that other power sources may be used indifferent implementations. The power circuitry 53 further illustrativelyincludes cryptographic/communications module power isolation/filteringcircuitry 76 coupled to the external power I/F circuitry 75. Acryptographic module power circuit 77 and a communications module powercircuit 78 are coupled to the power isolation/filtering circuitry 76 forrespectively supplying the cryptographic and communications modules 31,32. Further, a data filter/electrostatic discharge (ESD) protectioncircuit 79 is included for filtering signals communicated between thecryptographic module 31 and communications module 32, as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art.

To receive high level certification (e.g., level 4 FIPS 140-2, Type 1)for classified and/or secret communications, cryptographic devicestypically have to include some degree of physical tamper protection toprevent malicious individuals or organizations from physicallycompromising the device and discovering the secret key or algorithmbeing used. In accordance with the present invention, the cryptographicmodule 31 also illustratively includes a tamper circuit 80 for disablingthe cryptography circuit 57 based upon tampering with the first housing34. By way of example, the tamper circuit 80 preferably includes one ormore conductors substantially surrounding the cryptography circuit 57 sothat the cryptographic processor is disabled based upon a break in anyone of the conductors.

More particularly, the conductors may be relatively thin printed circuittraces printed on the inside of the first housing 34 and attached to thecryptographic processor 36. Since the conductors substantially surroundthe cryptographic processor 36 (or some portion thereof), if someoneattempts to drill through the first housing 34 to access thecryptographic processor then one or more of the printed traces will bebroken. The same holds true if someone opens the first housing, as thetraces will be pulled away from the cryptographic processor 36 alsocausing breaks therein.

In either event, the open circuit condition resulting from the brokenconductor(s) causes power to a cryptographic power interface circuit 81to be disrupted to be discontinued. That is, power from a dedicatedencryption algorithm/secret key battery 82 is prohibited from flowing tothe cryptographic power interface circuit 81 via the cryptographicmodule power circuitry 77. As a result, the algorithm and secret key,which are preferably stored in a volatile memory, are permanently andinstantly erased so that they cannot be discovered by maliciousindividuals or organizations. The tamper circuit 80 may thus providetamper protection from all angles, if desired.

As noted above, the cryptography circuit 57 implements a desiredencryption algorithm to provide a predetermined security level (e.g.,Type 1, FIPS 140-2 levels 1 through 4, etc.). By way of example,Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), Baton, or Medley encryptionalgorithms may be used to provide such high level security. Of course,other high level security algorithms known to those skilled in the artmay be used as well. Additionally, other cryptographic algorithms whichare considered to be less secure than those noted above may also be usedin accordance with the present invention when the cryptographic device30 is to be used in less sensitive environments (e.g., generalcommercial or corporate applications).

The cryptography circuitry 55 also illustratively includes a pluralityof modules which may be implemented using hardware and/or software.Referring particularly to FIG. 8, the unencrypted data buffer (i.e., redFPGA) 56 illustratively includes a host interface/FIFO control module 90for communicating with the host network processor 54 via the MIIprotocol, and traffic and command (CMD) FIFOs 91, 92 receiving outputsof the host interface/FIFO control module. It should be noted thatvarious data paths in FIG. 8 are labeled as “red” and/or “black” toindicate whether they convey unencrypted or encrypted data,respectively, or both, to aid in understanding of the present invention.

The output of the traffic FIFO 91 is connected to a buffer 93, which isconnected to a first high speed parallel interface 94 of thecryptographic circuit 57. The output of the command FIFO 92 is connectedto a first external bus interface unit (EBIU) 106 of the cryptographiccircuit 57. This EBIU 106 is also connected to control registers 95 anda multiplexer 96. Another input of the multiplexer 96 is connected tothe output of a second high speed parallel interface 97 of thecryptographic circuit 57. The output of the multiplexer 96 is passed toa cyclic redundancy check module 98, the output of which is passedthrough an output FIFO 100 back to the host interface/FIFO controlmodule 90.

The first high speed parallel interface 94 of the cryptography circuit57 has a respective word counter 101 associated therewith. Acryptographic processing module 102 of the cryptography circuit 57interfaces the first and second high speed parallel interfaces 94, 97and one or more cryptographic engine modules 103 via a bus controller104. The cryptographic processing module 102 also communicates with afill circuit 105 for the loading of cryptographic keys. The EBIU 106also interfaces the cryptographic processing module 102 with the memory72. A second EBIU 107 interfaces the cryptographic processing module 102with control registers 110 and a multiplexer 111 of the encrypted databuffer (i.e., black FPGA) 58. The signal path between the second EBIU107 and the multiplexer 111 provides a command signal path.

Various components of the host network processor 54, red FPGA 56,cryptographic circuit 57, and black FPGA 58 also communicate via one ormore general purpose input/output (GPIO) busses as shown, as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art. Additional circuitry 112 mayalso be coupled to the cryptography circuit 57 in certain embodimentsfor over/undervoltage detection, temperature detection, and/or paniczeroizing as required for a particular implementation, as will also beappreciated by those skilled in the art.

An output of the second high speed parallel interface 97 is passed via abuffer 113 to an input interface 114 which includes protection gating toprohibit red data from entering the black FPGA 58. The output of theinput interface 114 is connected to a second input of the multiplexer111 defining a traffic (i.e., data) path thereto. The output of themultiplexer 111 is provided to a cyclic redundancy check module 115, theoutput of which is provided to an output FIFO 117. An output of the MACinterface/FIFO control module 118 is provided to the input of thetraffic FIFO 116. The output of the traffic FIFO 116 is passed via abuffer 120 back to the input of the first high speed parallel interface94 of the cryptographic circuit 57, and the output of the output FIFO117 is connected to the MAC interface/FIFO control module 118, whichcommunicates with the communications module 32, as will be discussedfurther below.

The various circuitry of the communication module 32 will now bedescribed in further detail with particular reference to FIGS. 5 through7. As noted above, the various circuitry of the communications module 32is implemented in the communications CCA 51. In particular, thecommunications (or radio in the present WLAN example) CCA 51illustratively includes a power interface 126 for cooperating with thecommunications power circuit 78 to supply the various communicationscircuitry components. Additional filter/ESD circuitry 127 may also beincluded in the signal path from the cryptographic module 31, ifdesired.

More particularly, the signal path between the cryptographic module 31and communications module 32 includes a plurality of lines for MIIcommunications, as well as a three-wire serial interface (3WSI), as seenin FIG. 6. Generally speaking, the MII lines are for transferringencrypted data between the cryptographic module 31 and thecommunications module 32, and the three wire serial interface is forstatus/configuration operations of the communications module, as will bediscussed further below.

More particularly, the MII lines pass through the filter/ESD circuitry127 to the network communications interface 47. In the present WLANexample, the network communications interface 47 includes an 802.11a/b/g AP/MAC chip set 128 connected to the MII lines, and an associated802.11 a/b/g radio 129 connected to the 802.11 a/b/g AP/MAC chip set forwirelessly communicating with a WLAN. One or more memories 130 may beprovided for the 802.11 a/b/g AP/MAC chip set 128. The 802.11 a/b/gAP/MAC chip set 128 illustratively includes a processing module 141, anEthernet MAC module 142 for communicating with the cryptographic module31, and a WLAN MAC module 143 for performing the appropriate 802.11 WLANinterface and processing operations, as will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art.

The communications CCA 51 also illustratively includes a logic device131, such as a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), which isconnected to the above-noted three wire serial interface. Generallyspeaking, the CPLD 131 cooperates with the cryptographic processor 36 todetect, status, and configure different types of communications modules32. More particularly, the host network processor 54 polls the CPLD 131to determine what type of communications module 32 is connected to thecryptographic module 31 (i.e., WLAN, wireline, fiber optic, etc.), aswell as its operational status, as will be appreciated by those skilledin the art. The CPLD 131 also permits the host network processor 54 toconfigure the network communications interface 47 for operation in agiven application, as will also be appreciated by those skilled in theart.

Referring additionally to FIGS. 9 and 10, the three lines of the threewire serial interface respectively carry clock signals, data signals,and enable signals between the cryptographic and communications modules31, 32. The clock signal is provided to a sixteen bit (although othersizes may also be used) serial to parallel data converter 135, an outputregister 136, a sixteen bit parallel to serial data converter 137, andcontrol logic 138. More particularly, control data coming from thecryptographic processor 36 via the data line is written to the serial toparallel data converter 135 to be output by the output register 136.

More particularly, the communications module 32 may further include oneor more status indicators 140 (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs))carried by the second housing 45 for indicating operational mode, band,or other appropriate status information. The LEDs 140 receive multiplebits (e.g., eight) from the output register 136. Another set of bits(e.g., seven bits) from the register 136 are for enabling/disabling thecommunication module transmission circuitry (e.g., radio poweramplifiers (PA)), and the remaining bits of the sixteen bit output isfor providing a reset signal for the communications module 32.

The input buffer 139 receives multiple bits (e.g., eight) of status(e.g., radio status for a WLAN implementation) information and multiplebits (e.g., eight) of hardware information from the 802.11 chip set 128(or other network communications interfaces in other embodiments) topass along to the cryptographic processor 36 via the parallel to serialdata converter 137 and the data line of the three wire serial bus. Readand write data buffers 150, 151 may also be connected to the data line,if desired. Furthermore, the control circuitry 138 also receives theenable signal and enables the output register 136 and input buffer 139.

A read or write operation occurs when the enable signal goes high, asseen in FIG. 10. The format of the command packets sent from thecryptographic processor 36 to the CPLD 131 are as follows. The firstfour address bits (A15-A12) of a packet instruct the CPLD 131 whether itis to receive data from the cryptographic processor 36, or whether it isto supply requested data thereto. The remaining address bits (A11-A0)provide the address for the appropriate component or operation beingrequested, while the data bits (D15-D0) are reserved for data. As such,thirty-two bit serial words are exchanged between the cryptographicprocessor 36 and CPLD 131.

An exemplary read/write addressing scheme is to use 0110 for the bitsA15-A12 for a write operation, and 1011 for a read operation as shown,although other addressing schemes may also be used. Both thecryptographic module 31 and communications module 32 preferably clockdata out on falling edges of the clock signal and clock data in on theleading edges, although other timing arrangements may be used indifferent embodiments.

A particularly advantageous approach for transferring the commandpackets from the cryptographic processor 36 to the communications module32 will now be described. The host network processor 54 generatescryptographic processor command packets for the cryptographic processor36. These packets each include an Ethernet address portion foraddressing the cryptography circuit 57 and an IP packet thatencapsulates a cryptographic command. In accordance with the presentinvention, the host network processor 54 encapsulates a command packetto be operated upon by the communications module 32 within thecryptographic command, as shown in FIG. 11. By using the second EBIU107, for example, the communications module command packets may bepassed to the communications module 32 without processing (i.e.,encrypting). This provides a convenient way to transcend the red/blackdata boundary (FIG. 6) without potentially compromising security.

More particularly, the format of a cryptographic processor commandpacket is as follows. The Ethernet address portion of the packet isaddressed to the cryptography circuit 57. More particularly, the addressportion may include Ethernet header addresses, an IP header, andcryptographic command information, as will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art. The communications module command packet destinedfor the communications module is encapsulated in the data portion of theIP packet. Accordingly, when the cryptography circuit 57 receives such acryptographic processor command packet, it will recognize the packet asa cryptographic command. As such, the cryptography circuit 57 will stripits own address information from the packet and transfer the remainingportion (i.e., the encapsulated communications module command packet) tothe communications module 32. Preferably, the host network processor 54formats the data portions of the IP packets (and, thus, the commandpackets for the communications module 32) based upon the simple networkmanagement protocol (SNMP), although other protocols may also be used.

The above-described approach may be used for sending communicationsmodule command data via the MII lines or the BWSI, and this approach maybe used in reverse to communicate information back to-the host networkprocessor 54, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. Sincetypical prior art cryptographic devices include all of the cryptographyand communications circuitry within the same housing, the formatting ofstatus/configuration commands for the communications circuitry istypically not an issue. However, as will be appreciated by those ofskill in the art, the above-described approach provides a convenient andsecure way to perform such command/control operations despite theseparation between the cryptographic and communications modules 31, 32.Of course, it will be appreciated that other approaches for formattingand/or encapsulating such command packets may also be used, as will beappreciated by those skilled in the art.

The above-described interchangeability of the communications modules 32and the ability to pass the command packets through the red/blackboundary is facilitated by using a same, predetermined interfaceprotocol, i.e., an MII protocol, along the entire signal path betweenthe user network interface 35 and the network communications interface47. That is, the cryptographic processor 36 not only communicates withthe user network interface 35 using an MII-based protocol, it alsocommunicates with the network communications interface 47 using the sameMII-based protocol. The MII protocol may be based upon the original MIIstandard set forth in the IEEE 802.3 standard, or it may be a variantthereof such as reduced MII (RMMI) or gigabit MII (GMII), for example,although other protocols may be used as well.

Maintaining the consistent use of the MII protocol through the chain ofcircuitry from the user network interface 35 to the networkcommunications interface 47 allows the cryptographic module 31 and thecommunications module 32 both to operate using a unique external MACaddresses, while at the same time using fixed internal MAC addresses.More particularly, the Ethernet MAC modules 60 and 143 operate using aunique external MAC addresses for each individual cryptographic module31 and communications module respectively, while the Ethernet MACmodules 61 and 142 use fixed MAC addresses which are the same for everycryptographic device 30.

Thus, the cryptographic circuitry 55 essentially becomes transparent tothe communications module 32, as it appears to the communications modulethat it is connected directly to the Ethernet MAC module 61. Moreover,the “hard-coded” MAC addresses used by the Ethernet MAC's in bothmodules 61 and 142 provide for the transfer of command packets asdescribed above, as well as a controlled transmission of encrypted datapackets, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Another particularly advantageous feature of the invention is thatdifferent communications modules 32 may not only be used to allow asingle cryptographic module 31 to be used with multiple media types(e.g., wireless, wireline, fiber optic, etc.), but the communicationsmodules may also be used to provide multi-mode operation for a givenmedia, such as in the case of a WLAN. More particularly, a WLANcommunications module 32 may advantageously use an 802.11 a/b/g chip set128 that is switchable between wireless LAN modes (i.e., access point(AP) mode, infrastructure mode, and ad-hoc mode) by the cryptographicmodule 31 using the above-described command packets, for example.

Thus, a same WLAN communications module 32 in accordance with thepresent invention may advantageously be used with any advice in a WLANto provide desired functionality, such as individual station operation,bridging to a wired network, peer-to-peer communications, etc., as willbe appreciated by those skilled in the art. Moreover, mode changes canbe accomplished “on the fly” as desired using command packets. It willtherefore be appreciated that with such a WLAN communications module 32,the cryptographic device 30 provides complete 802.11 functionality in asingle unit while also providing a wireless bridge that can be used toaccess a secure network. The cryptographic module 30 may advantageouslybe configured to allow selection and configuration of 802.11 modules ofoperation via a standard Web browser, for example.

Alternately, switching between WLAN operational modules may also beaccomplished by using different types of 802.11 chip sets 128 forrespective WLAN operational modes in different WLAN communicationsmodules. That is, a different WLAN communications module 32 would beused depending upon whether an AP, infrastructure, or ad-hoc mode wasdesired for a given LAN device 40.

Turning to FIGS. 12-14, the coupling structure of the cryptographic andcommunications modules 31, 32 will now be further described. Moreparticularly, the first housing 34 of the cryptographic module 31 mayinclude a first body 180 and a first extension 181 extending outwardlytherefrom, and the second housing 45 may include a second body 182 and asecond extension 183 extending outwardly therefrom. As such, the firstand second extensions 181, 183 may be aligned in overlapping relationwhen the first and second connectors 37, 46 are removably matedtogether.

The first connecter 37 is illustratively carried by the first body 180adjacent the first extension 181, and the second connector 46 is carriedby the second extension 186. Although other arrangements may be used inaccordance with the present invention, this arrangement is particularlyadvantageous in that it allows the cryptographic CCA 50, which has morecircuitry than the power supply CCA 52, to be positioned to takeadvantage of the extra length (and, therefore, surface area) of thefirst extension 181. Similarly, the communications CCA 51 is positionedto take advantage of the additional length of the second extension 183.

Each of the first and second extensions 181, 183 may also have surfacefeatures on opposing surfaces thereof to slidably engage and guide thecryptographic and communications modules 31, 32 together in matingrelation. By way of example, the surface features may include rails 185and corresponding channels 186 which define one or more slidableinterlocking (e.g., dovetail) joints therebetween (two are shown in theexemplary implementation). One or more fasteners, such as captive screws187 which mate with corresponding threaded holes 188, are alsopreferably included for removably fastening the cryptographic andcommunications modules 31, 32 together.

As shown in the illustrated example, the first and second connectors 37,46 are multi-pin electrical connectors, although various electricalconnector styles known to those skilled in the art may be used. Also,one or more seals 190 may be positioned between the cryptographic module31 and the communications module 32. It will therefore be appreciatedthat the above-described electrical/mechanical structure provides arobust yet simple interconnection that is capable of providing desiredEMI shielding and environmental sealing. Various materials (e.g., metal,plastic, etc.) may be used for the first and second housings 37, 45, aswill also be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

Based upon the foregoing description, numerous advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, thecryptographic device 30 is interoperable with standard commercial 802.11and 802.3 networking equipment. More particularly, it may be used withany computing platform with an Ethernet interface (e.g., LINUX/UNIX,VxWorks, Windows, Macintosh, etc.). As such, independent developers mayadvantageously be able to develop applications without the need to writespecial drivers to communicate with the user network interface 35.Likewise, independent developers may advantageously be able to developcommunications modules 32 for various and/or specialized communicationsapplications since they will interface with the cryptographic module 31via a well-defined, controlled electrical/mechanical interface.Furthermore, the coupling structure not only provides for easyinterchangeability of different communications modules 32 with a singlecryptographic module 31, the rugged housing and connector design allowsfor operation over a wide range of climates and conditions.

Turning additionally to FIG. 15, a first communications method aspect ofthe invention will now be described. Beginning at Block 250, the usernetwork interface 35 of the cryptographic module 31 is coupled to a LANdevice 40, at Block 251. Further, the communications module 32, onceattached to the cryptographic module 31, may then be used to communicatewith various networks (i.e., LAN) 48, thus concluding the illustratedmethod, at Block 254.

Referring to FIG. 16, another communications method aspect of theinvention begins (Block 260) with coupling the cryptographic module 31to the network device 40, at Block 261, with the communications module32 being coupled to the cryptographic module as described above. Themethod further includes using the cryptographic processor 36 tocommunicate with the user network interface 35 and the networkcommunications interface 47 using a same predetermined protocol (e.g.,MII), at Block 263, as discussed above, and also communicating with thenetwork (i.e., LAN) 48, at Block 264, thus concluding the illustratedmethod (Block 265).

Two additional method aspects for WLAN operation are now described withreference to FIGS. 17 and 18. Beginning at Block 270, the cryptographicmodule 31 is coupled to the network device 40, at Block 271, with thecommunications module 32 being removably coupled to the cryptographicmodule 31, as described above. If during the course of operation it isdetermined that a different WLAN mode of operation is required, at Block273, if a multi-mode network wireless network interface 274 is includedin the WLAN communications module 32, as discussed above, the interfacemay be switched to the desired wireless LAN mode, at Block 274.Thereafter, or if a new WLAN mode is not required, wirelesscommunications with the network (i.e., LAN) 48 may be conducted, atBlock 275, thus concluding the illustrated method (Block 276). Ifdifferent 802.11 modes are implemented in respective WLAN communicationsmodules 32, as discussed above, the step illustrated at Block 274 may bereplaced with the step of removably coupling a new communications moduleproviding the desired WLAN operational mode to the cryptographic module31, at Block 280′.

Still another communications method aspect of the invention is nowdescribed with reference to FIG. 19. The method beings (Block 290) withcoupling the cryptographic module 31 to the network device 40, at Block291, with the communications module 32 being removably coupled to thecryptographic module, and using the communications module to communicatewith the network (i.e., LAN) 48, at Block 293, as described above. Themethod also includes using the logic CPLD 131 in cooperation with thecryptographic processor 36 to determine a status of the communicationsmodule 32, at Block 294, thus concluding the illustrated method, atBlock 295. Of course, it will be appreciated that status may be obtained(and/or configuration performed) prior to commencing communications withthe network (i.e., LAN) 48, and that repeated status updates maycontinue to be obtained through the communications process.

Another communications method aspect of the invention will now bedescribed with reference to FIG. 20. The method begins (Block 300) withcoupling the cryptographic module 31 to the network device 40, asdescribed above, at Block 301, with a communications module 32 beingremovably coupled to the cryptographic module. The method may furtherinclude causing the host network processor 54 to generate cryptographicpackets for the cryptographic circuit 57 each including an addressportion and a data portion, and to encapsulate command packets for thenetwork communications interface 47 in the data portions of thecryptographic packets, at Block 302, as previously described above.Thus, if the cryptographic circuit 57 determines that a command packetis encapsulated in the cryptographic packet, the cryptographic circuitpasses the command packet to the communications module 32 withoutperforming cryptographic processing thereon, at Block 304, as alsodiscussed above. Otherwise, cryptographic processing is performed on thedata in the cryptographic packet, at Block 305, thus concluding theillustrated method (Block 306).

Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention will come tothe mind of one skilled in the art having the benefit of the teachingspresented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings.Therefore, it is understood that the invention is not to be limited tothe specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications andembodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appendedclaims.

1. A cryptographic device comprising: a cryptographic module and acommunications module removably coupled thereto; said cryptographicmodule comprising a first housing, a user Local Area Network (LAN)interface carried by said first housing, and a cryptographic processorcarried by said first housing and coupled to said user LAN interface;said communications module comprising a second housing, and a networkwireless LAN interface carried by said second housing, coupled to saidcryptographic processor and switchable between wireless LAN modes. 2.The cryptographic device of claim 1 wherein said network wireless LANinterface circuit is switchable to one of an access point (AP) mode, aninfrastructure mode, and an ad-hoc mode.
 3. The cryptographic device ofclaim 1 wherein said cryptographic module further comprises a firstconnector carried by said first housing and coupled to saidcryptographic processor; wherein said communications module furthercomprises a second connector carried by said second housing andconnected to said network wireless LAN interface, said second connectorbeing removably mateable with said first connector of said cryptographicmodule.
 4. The cryptographic device of claim 1 wherein said user LANinterface comprises an Ethernet interface.
 5. The cryptographic deviceof claim 1 further comprising a power circuit carried by said firsthousing and powering said cryptographic processor, said user LANinterface, and said network LAN interface.
 6. The cryptographic deviceof claim 1 wherein said cryptographic processor implements an encryptionalgorithm to provide a predetermined security level.
 7. Thecryptographic device of claim 1 wherein said cryptographic processorcomprises: a host network processor coupled to said user LAN interface;and a cryptography circuit coupled to said host network processor. 8.The cryptographic device of claim 7 wherein said cryptographic processorfurther comprises: an encrypted data buffer circuit coupled between saiduser LAN interface and said cryptography circuit; and an unencrypteddata buffer circuit coupled between said cryptography circuit and saidnetwork LAN interface.
 9. The cryptographic device of claim 1 whereinsaid cryptographic module further comprises a tamper circuit fordisabling said cryptographic processor based upon tampering with saidfirst housing.
 10. The cryptographic device of claim 9 wherein saidtamper circuit comprises at least one conductor substantiallysurrounding said cryptographic processor, and wherein said cryptographicprocessor is disabled based upon a break in said at least one conductor.11. A cryptographic device comprising: a cryptographic module and acommunications module removably coupled thereto; said cryptographicmodule comprising a first housing, a user Local Area Network (LAN)interface carried by said first housing, and a cryptographic processorcarried by said first housing and coupled to said user LAN interface;said communications module comprising a second housing and a networkwireless LAN interface carried by said second housing; saidcommunications module comprising a predetermined one from among aplurality of interchangeable communications modules, and said networkwireless LAN interfaces of said plurality of interchangeablecommunications modules each operating using a different wireless LANmode.
 12. The cryptographic device of claim 11 wherein the differentwireless LAN modes comprise an access point (AP) mode, an infrastructuremode, and an ad-hoc mode.
 13. The cryptographic device of claim 11wherein said cryptographic module further comprises a first connectorcarried by said first housing and coupled to said cryptographicprocessor; wherein said communications module further comprises a secondconnector carried by said second housing and connected to said networkwireless LAN interface, said second connector being removably mateablewith said first connector of said cryptographic module.
 14. Thecryptographic device of claim 11 wherein said user LAN interfacecomprises an Ethernet interface.
 15. The cryptographic device of claim11 further comprising a power circuit carried by said first housing andpowering said cryptographic processor, said user LAN interface, and saidnetwork LAN interface.
 16. The cryptographic device of claim 11 whereinsaid cryptographic processor implements an encryption algorithm toprovide a predetermined security level.
 17. The cryptographic device ofclaim 11 wherein said cryptographic processor comprises: a host networkprocessor coupled to said user LAN interface; and a cryptography circuitcoupled to said host network processor.
 18. The cryptographic device ofclaim 17 wherein said cryptographic processor further comprises: anencrypted data buffer circuit coupled between said user LAN interfaceand said cryptography circuit; and an unencrypted data buffer circuitcoupled between said cryptography circuit and said network LANinterface.
 19. The cryptographic device of claim 11 wherein saidcryptographic module further comprises a tamper circuit for disablingsaid cryptographic processor based upon tampering with said firsthousing.
 20. The cryptographic device of claim 19 wherein said tampercircuit comprises at least one conductor substantially surrounding saidcryptographic processor, and wherein said cryptographic processor isdisabled based upon a break in said at least one conductor.
 21. Acommunications method comprising: coupling a cryptographic module to aLocal Area Network (LAN) device, the cryptographic module comprising afirst housing, a user LAN interface carried by the first housing, acryptographic processor carried by the first housing and coupled to theuser LAN interface; providing a communications module comprising asecond housing and a network wireless LAN interface carried by thesecond housing and removably coupled to the cryptographic module; andswitching the network wireless LAN interface between wireless LAN modes,and using the network wireless LAN to communicate with a wireless LAN.22. The method of claim 21 wherein switching comprises switching thenetwork wireless LAN interface circuit to one of an access point (AP)mode, an infrastructure mode, and an ad-hoc mode.
 23. The method ofclaim 21 wherein the cryptographic module further comprises a firstconnector carried by the first housing and coupled to the cryptographicprocessor; wherein the communications module further comprises a secondconnector carried by the second housing and connected to the networkwireless LAN interface; and wherein removably coupling comprisesremovably mating the second connector to the first connector.
 24. Themethod of claim 21 wherein the user LAN interface comprises an Ethernetinterface.
 25. A communications method comprising: coupling acryptographic module to a Local Area Network (LAN) device, thecryptographic module comprising a first housing, a user Local AreaNetwork (LAN) interface carried by the first housing, and acryptographic processor carried by the first housing and coupled to theuser LAN interface; coupling the user LAN interface to a LAN deviceremovably coupling one of a plurality of communications modules to thecryptographic module, the communications module comprising a secondhousing and a network wireless LAN interface carried by the secondhousing, and the network wireless LAN interfaces of the plurality ofinterchangeable communications modules each operating in a differentwireless LAN mode; and using the removably coupled communications moduleto communicate with a LAN.
 26. The method of claim 25 wherein thedifferent wireless LAN modes comprise an access point (AP) mode, aninfrastructure mode, and an ad-hoc mode.
 27. The method of claim 25wherein the cryptographic module further comprises a first connectorcarried by the first housing and coupled to the cryptographic processor;wherein the communications module further comprises a second connectorcarried by the second housing and connected to the network wireless LANinterface; and wherein removably connecting comprises removably matingthe second connector with the first connector of the cryptographicmodule.
 28. The method of claim 25 wherein the user LAN interfacecomprises an Ethernet interface.
 29. A communications system comprising:a plurality of Local Area Network (LAN) devices coupled together todefine a wireless LAN, and a cryptographic device coupled to at leastone of said LAN devices; said cryptographic device comprising acryptographic module coupled to said at least one LAN device, and acommunications module removably coupled to said cryptographic module;said cryptographic module comprising a first housing, a user LANinterface carried by said first housing, and a cryptographic processorcarried by said first housing and coupled to said user LAN interface;said communications module comprising a second housing, and a networkwireless LAN interface carried by said second housing, coupled to saidcryptographic processor and switchable between wireless LAN modes. 30.The communications system of claim 29 wherein said network wireless LANinterface circuit is switchable to one of an access point (AP) mode, aninfrastructure mode, and an ad-hoc mode.
 31. The communications systemof claim 29 wherein said cryptographic module further comprises a firstconnector carried by said first housing and coupled to saidcryptographic processor; wherein said communications module furthercomprises a second connector carried by said second housing andconnected to said network wireless LAN interface, said second connectorbeing removably mateable with said first connector of said cryptographicmodule.
 32. The communications system of claim 29 wherein said user LANinterface comprises an Ethernet interface.
 33. The communications systemof claim 29 further comprising a power circuit carried by said firsthousing and powering said cryptographic processor, said user LANinterface, and said network LAN interface.
 34. The communications systemof claim 29 wherein said cryptographic processor implements anencryption algorithm to provide a predetermined security level.
 35. Thecommunications system of claim 29 wherein said cryptographic processorcomprises: a host network processor coupled to said user LAN interface;and a cryptography circuit coupled to said host network processor. 36.The communications system of claim 35 wherein said cryptographicprocessor further comprises: an encrypted data buffer circuit coupledbetween said user LAN interface and said cryptography circuit; and anunencrypted data buffer circuit coupled between said cryptographycircuit and said network LAN interface.